VOA流行美語 Unit 82: BAIL / CALL IT QUITS
VOA流行美語 Unit 82: BAIL / CALL IT QUITS
今天Michael和Li Hua在一起做功課。Li Hua會學到兩個常用語：bail和call it quits。
M: Agghh! Come on, Li Hua. We've been studying for five hours. I'm ready to bail!
L: 是啊，我們做了5個小時的功課，我也想幹點兒別的了。可是Michael, 你說你準備做什麼？You're ready to bail。bail, 那是一種遊戲嗎？
M: No, silly. I said "I'm ready to bail". "To bail" as in "to leave".
L: 噢，To bail在這裏是"離開"的意思。可是明天就要考試了，我們還沒複習完呢！
M: Please, Li Hua. I already know the material. I'm ready for tomorrow's test. Let's bail and get something to eat!
L: 好吧，我肚子也餓了，Let's bail and get something to eat! Michael, 你對明天的考試這麼有把握，你是不是昨天晚上就開始複習啦？
M: Not really. I went to a movie with some friends last night. After the movie, they wanted to go to a dance club, but I bailed on them and went home to get some sleep.
L: 噢，你昨天晚上和朋友去看電影，然後你的朋友們去跳舞，可是you bailed on them, 意思就是你沒和他們一起去，對不對？
M: That's right. I bailed on my friends and went home.
L: 噢，那Michael, 除了可以說bail on someone, 還可不可以說bail on something呢？
M: Of course! For instance, last week I had a dentist appointment, so I had to bail on history class.
L: 對啊，上星期，你因爲要去看牙，所以沒有上歷史課，You bailed on history class.
M: Come on, Li Hua. I'm starving. Let's bail and get something to eat!
(Door open and the two leave...)
******
M: (in restaurant) By the way, Li Hua, I heard that Jack isn't going to be in school next term. Is he really calling it quits?
L: 什麼？Jack下學期就不來上學啦？你說他calling it quits, quit 不就是"放棄"的意思嗎？你是說Jack下學期就要退學啦？
M: Ya, that's right. "To call it quits" means to quit doing something. I heard that Jack is calling it quits.
L: 噢，to call it quits意思就是"停止做某件事"，可是，我聽說Jack只不過是想先打半年工，多掙點錢，明年他還會回來繼續上學，He's not really calling it quits.
M: That's good to hear.
L: Michael, 那這個to call it quits還可以用在別的地方嗎？
M: Sometimes "to call it quits" means to break up a relationship between a boyfriend and girlfriend.
L: 噢，原來to call it quits還可以用來表示男女朋友分手，這就讓我想到啦，不久前好萊塢電影明星Ben Afleck和Jennifer Lopez, 他們倆本來都訂婚了，可是後來又推遲了婚禮，大家就覺得很奇怪啊：Are Ben and J-Lo calling it quits?
M: (sighs) I can't stand those two. I hope that this time they are calling it quits for real, so I never have to hear about them again.
L: 你倒希望他們倆真分手，這樣你再也不會聽到他們的消息啦。嗨，Michael你也真是的，他們寫他們的，你不看不就得了。你不是老說功課太多嗎？對了，你還說選修的阿拉伯語課太難 - Are you going to call it quits?
M: No, I'm not going to call it quits! I am going to finish it.
L: 哇，從來沒見過你這麼大的決心吶！我還記得你學中文的時候有好幾次都想call it quits呢！
M: Whatever.
今天李華學到了兩個常用語，一個是bail, 表示"離開"。另一個是call it quits, 意思是"停止做某件事"。
